RAMP

Ethan Mermelstein

RAMP

Ethan Mermelstein

Comedy,
Drama

Short

New York

RAMP is about what happens when anxiety mutates into obsession. Joyce Zuckerman becomes so focused on returning a ramp to Home Depot that it becomes the driving force in her life. Nothing will stop her from getting her way.

RAMP is about what happens when anxiety mutates into obsession. Joyce Zuckerman becomes so focused on returning a ramp to Home Depot that it becomes the driving force in her life. Nothing will stop her from getting her way.

103 supporters

126 followers

Green Light

RAISED $6,975

for POST-PRODUCTION

103 supporters, 126 followers

Inclusion Statement

The film features a breakout performance from an octogenarian actress. Her two costars are people of color. Behind the camera, three producers on the film are female. One of our editors is female. Our production team is proudly majority female.

About The Project

I wrote RAMP while living in the Queens apartment above my grandparents. On a regular basis, my grandmother would ask me for help with tasks big and small. At times (OK, often) I wouldn’t be available to help her right away. A day or two later, I’d knock on her door to discover she already did it herself. She pulled a stranger off the street to help her reconnect her ipad to Netflix so she could continue watching Breaking Bad. She lifted heavy air-conditioning covers onto all of her AC units.

I was lucky enough to convince my grandmother to play the lead in RAMP. The character is inspired by her and her life, and her first-time performance is fierce, natural, and truly unique. It gives RAMP the darkness, humor, and emotion that sets it apart from other films with elderly protagonists.

Incentives

$15

Some Love

Thank you for the love! We appreciate your support and are excited that your contribution will help bring the film to life.

$25

RAMP digital poster with your name!

As a thanks for your support, we are creating a digital image of the RAMP poster with your name on it!

$50

Early Digital Screener

You will be among the first to receive a private link to view the Final Cut of the film. Thank you for your support!

And if you'd like, you'll also receive the RAMP thank you digital poster!

$75

Private Screening + Afterparty

You get an exclusive invite to the cast, crew, friends, and family screening of RAMP in Brooklyn, NY. This is the first time anyone will get to see Ramp on the big screen. You're also invited to the afterparty! (Travel and lodging are not included)

Claimed: 22 of 50

$125

Custom Voicemail Message by Joyce Zuckerman

Have our no-nonsense star greet your callers. She'll read (almost) anything you want, or let her loose and she'll make up her own message for you.

$200

Special Thanks on the BIG SCREEN

We appreciate your support. See your name in the credits! In addition to an advance digital screener link, your name will appear in the "Special Thanks" section of the credits.

(this includes all of the below incentives: the digital poster, digital screener, and TWO invites to the private screening and party)

Claimed: 5 of 25

$500

Associate Producer

Thank you for your generous support! As an associate producer, you'll be credited both on screen and on IMDB. You also get an invite + 1 to our private screening and afterparty. An we'll send you the private screener link too plus digital thank you poster!

Claimed: 0 of 8

$1,250

Executive Producer

This is tremendous. Thank you for your generous support!!!

As an Executive Producer will be billed as such in the credits in RAMP. You will get EP credit on IMDB.

You also get all our other incentives: an invite + 1 to our private screening and afterparty in Brooklyn, a private digital screener link, and (if you're interested) voicemail message by our lead actress.

How much would you like to pledge?

$1,100 to go

costs $1,100

How much would you like to pledge?

$15

Some Love

Thank you for the love! We appreciate your support and are excited that your contribution will help bring the film to life.

$25

RAMP digital poster with your name!

As a thanks for your support, we are creating a digital image of the RAMP poster with your name on it!

$50

Early Digital Screener

You will be among the first to receive a private link to view the Final Cut of the film. Thank you for your support!

And if you'd like, you'll also receive the RAMP thank you digital poster!

$75

Private Screening + Afterparty

You get an exclusive invite to the cast, crew, friends, and family screening of RAMP in Brooklyn, NY. This is the first time anyone will get to see Ramp on the big screen. You're also invited to the afterparty! (Travel and lodging are not included)

Claimed: 22 of 50

$125

Custom Voicemail Message by Joyce Zuckerman

Have our no-nonsense star greet your callers. She'll read (almost) anything you want, or let her loose and she'll make up her own message for you.

$200

Special Thanks on the BIG SCREEN

We appreciate your support. See your name in the credits! In addition to an advance digital screener link, your name will appear in the "Special Thanks" section of the credits.

(this includes all of the below incentives: the digital poster, digital screener, and TWO invites to the private screening and party)

Claimed: 5 of 25

$500

Associate Producer

Thank you for your generous support! As an associate producer, you'll be credited both on screen and on IMDB. You also get an invite + 1 to our private screening and afterparty. An we'll send you the private screener link too plus digital thank you poster!

Claimed: 0 of 8

$1,250

Executive Producer

This is tremendous. Thank you for your generous support!!!

As an Executive Producer will be billed as such in the credits in RAMP. You will get EP credit on IMDB.

You also get all our other incentives: an invite + 1 to our private screening and afterparty in Brooklyn, a private digital screener link, and (if you're interested) voicemail message by our lead actress.

Current Team

About This Team

Ethan Mermelstein, Director, Writer, Producer

Ethan Mermelstein is a writer, director, producer living in QUEENS. He began his career in film reading scripts and writing coverage for producer Anthony Bregman (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Foxcatcher, Enough Said). He’s worked in the writer’s rooms of Emmy-nominated shows (HBO’s Girls, Showtime’s Nurse Jackie) as script coordinator. In 2018, Ethan was selected by the Cinestory Foundation to workshop his pre-apocalyptic sitcom pilot “Always Regret.” His feature screenplay, “The Zuckermans,” was an awarded screenplay at the 2017 Seattle International Film Festival, and a finalist for the Nantucket Screenwriter’s Colony. He was selected as a writer in residence at the Betsy Writer’s Room.

Alexander Lewis, Director of Photography

Alexander Lewis is a director and cinematographer based in New York City. He has travelled the world for work, most recently operating for the Emmy award-winning show on CNN, Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown. As a member of Local 600, he was a camera assistant to award-winning cinematographers (including Steven Soderbergh, Zach Zamboni, Piotr Kukla, Lyle Vincent), working on such features and shows as The Knick, Orange is the New Black, and Girls. His documentary short, Single Room Occupancy, premiered at the 2016 Seattle International Film Festival and was an official selection at the 2017 Big Sky Documentary Film Festival in Missoula, MT.

Mirada Kahn, Producer

Miranda Kahn is a Brooklyn-based Producer and AD. She has worked on over a dozen feature films and for networks such as CBS, NBC, ABC, PBS, HBO, Sony, and Netflix alongside producing mentors including Lena Dunham (GIRLS), Josh and Ben Safdie (Good Time), Molly Conners (Birdman) and Peter Phok (The House of the Devil). Her most recent film, The Kindergarten Teacher, premiered at Sundance 2018. She currently has two films in production (White Knuckle, RAMP) and is determined to use her experience to produce projects with socially-impactful content.

Talya Davidoff, Producer

Talya Davidoff is a Producer and Production Manager for MerchantCantos, a leading global creative communications agency with major clients such as PepsiCo, Facebook, HSBC, Alibaba, and AB InBev. Her past experience includes production management and script coordination for major television series (featured on HBO, NBC, and WB).

Maria Santos, Producer

Maria is the Advisory Council Coordinator at Cinereach, where she works to actualize the company’s projects and vision. Before joining Cinereach, she worked as a Producer’s Assistant on HBO’s Girls. Prior to her HBO production experience, Maria worked in the production department for a variety of television shows in the tri-state area.

Lindsay Lindenbaum, Producer

Lindsay graduated from Washington University in St. Louis with a B.A in Film & Media Studies and Psychology, and the School of Visual Arts with an M.F.A in Social Documentary Film. She directed two award-winning short films that have screened at various festivals around the world. Her film, SCATTERED, was a finalist at the 2014 Student Academy Awards. She is currently working on TOMBOY, a feature length documentary about the world of female drummers.

Ryan Spears, Editor, Producer

Ryan Spears is a New York-based editor and director who specializes in comedy projects. Recently he's worked as an Assistant Editor on SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE, and as an editor in the marketing departments of COMEDY CENTRAL and ABC NEWS. Ryan directed and edited the web series COUCH HOUSE - an official selection of the 2015 New York Television Festival - and has directed sketches for sketch groups Stevedore Comedy, The Hubbies, standup Marcia Belsky, and performer Livia Scott.

Noah Pardo, Composer / Post Production Supervisor

Noah is a composer, sound designer, mixer, and audio editor who has written and recorded original content for television series, corporate spots, live performances, short films, dance, sketch comedy, and animated series. He scored the 2018 animated series “Tammy’s Tiny Teatime,” an official Sundance selection.

Hanna Wellish, Producer / Set Design

Hanna Wellish is a Brooklyn-based artist, comedian, and filmmaker originally from Las Vegas, Nevada. She studied Sociology at Brandeis University with minors in Film and Environmental Studies. She works as a Scenic Artist for Film & Television. Hanna also founded and co-facilitates The Forum for Feminist Discussion of Masculinities that holds monthly meetings at Bluestockings Bookstore in NYC.

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Basic Info

Before we get started, please confirm the following:

I will not be running a campaign for this project on another platform simultaneouslyI understand that I need to reach at least 80% of my goal to keep the funds raisedI have ( or someone on my team has ) a US bank account and SSN or EIN